


A Merry Fucking Christmas

by RobinWritesChirps



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas Party, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, No one dies AU, except Jane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22035880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinWritesChirps/pseuds/RobinWritesChirps
Summary: Tom and Becky spend a few days at a cabin with Tim and the Fosters. Family fluff.No Wiggly AU where Barneston took in the Fosters.
Relationships: Becky Barnes/Tom Houston, Lex Foster & Hannah Foster, Tom Houston & Lex Foster
Comments: 26
Kudos: 45





	A Merry Fucking Christmas

"You think it'll be enough?"

Becky was an exceedingly careful driver and didn't turn to him for fear she become distracted, but Tom saw her smiling at the road as he spoke. Blindly, she searched for his hand on his lap and stroked her thumb against the back of it.

"Tom," she chided gently, "The trunk is so filled with gifts we had to squish the last few into it. The backseat is packed with decorations and so much food we'll probably have leftovers for a week. We're set."

He nodded. He knew she was right, of course − Becky always was, but other than that, he knew himself that the nerve he was feeling had no rationale to it. The kids had seemed more than alright when they had left them at home earlier. He was certain Lex would use up the day to do absolutely nothing, which was why he trusted her best of all to watch over Tim and Hannah, who certainly would enjoy a few hours of free range. They had all been cheerful when Becky and him had given their goodbyes and recommendations for the day. There was no reason to believe anything would change, not even after tomorrow.

They were spending Christmas in a cottage in the forest he had technically built himself, with some small amount of help from the friend who owned the patch of land. As a token of gratitude, the friend was granting Tom access to the little log house as often as he requested, probably because he knew Tom would rarely cash in on the offer. Still, celebrating the holidays foot deep in thick crunchy snow, nothing but the fresh smell of evergreens and the smoke from the fireplace and whatever festive delicacies they would put on their plates tomorrow, Tom had been looking forward to the getaway for a while and the last couple of weeks at school had never seemed so long. For once, he now thought he knew what Lex might feel like all the time. Since the cabin wasn't too far from home, Becky had suggested they went early to have it decorated for tomorrow and warmed up before bringing in the kids and Tom had thought that a long morning spent with her was just another seasonal blessing.

"I just hope they like it," he said.

The road was a dark line parting the white sheet of the winter landscape. Already he could feel the peaceful quiet of nature. There was nothing quite like life away from the rest of society. Becky and the kids were just about the only people he could bear to see over and over and over. Luckily, it seemed he was to see them as often as he wished, perhaps forever.

"I hope so too," she said, squeezing his hand. "But I don't doubt it."

"Do we have all the presents?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

" _All_ of them?"

A near silent huff as she took back her hand to switch gears.

"Yes, all."

"Cool." His hand suddenly empty rubbed his lap nervously. "Great, cool."

They arrived at the lodging. The snow crunched under his boots delightfully as he carried everything inside. The cottage, if such a thought wasn't too prideful on his part, was absolutely lovely. It would be made even moreso during the day. Because one of them had to and Tom absolutely did not, Becky had a sense of harmony and decoration. All morning was spent following her diligent instructions and everything was arranged as per her excellent taste. After the fire was made roaring and crackling, everything was warm and neat and pleasant. Streamers and baubles and garlands everywhere, it was an explosion of red and green through the small space.

After lunch, they spent quite some time picking the perfect tree from the forest surrounding but it was eventually selected after much debate. Once inside, all the good qualities the winning tree had possessed were near swallowed up by the mountain of ornaments that covered it up. Still, the house that had already been welcoming was now as close to perfection as Tom had wanted to achieve. He hoped it would suffice.

"You're still worried," she noted.

Tom didn't ever have it in him to lie to her and he shrugged his shoulders in apology. She stepped towards him and neatly straightened the collar of his plaid shirt before pulling him down for a kiss. Tom couldn't fret after that, he supposed. He smiled.

"It'll all be alright," she said and perhaps because of her words, of her hands at his neck, perhaps because of the comfortable familiarity of her waist under his touch, he did feel soothed. He held her close.

"You're right." He sighed one last time. "You're always right, babe."

She toyed with the lobe of his ear, then flicked a finger against it playfully and pointed to the door.

"I'll get started on baking, you go get them. You don't have permission to be gloomy until at least the new year, alright?"

He snorted.

"Aye aye," he said. He leaned to kiss her again and might have lost himself in it if she didn't push against his chest gently to show him out, laughing. "Later!"

He didn't like driving, not anymore, but the ride home was short. When he pushed open the front door, however, he wondered exactly how much time he had been away for such a mess to have been created already. Tim was in the middle of some pretend game in a vast sea of scattered toys across the whole length of the hall and living room. Much more neatly, Hannah was crouched on the other side of the room, humming and quietly sorting her own toys into piles that made no sense to Tom, but always did to her. Between the two of them, Lex was sprawled over the sofa and browsing her phone. There were takeout containers on the coffee table although Tom was quite certain that they had perfectly good leftovers in the freezer. He wondered whose money had paid for those. He pinched the brink of his nose. The holiday came but once a year, he told himself and breathed out the frustration.

"Merry Christmas, Lex."

She looked up, noticing him. She smirked and looked back down at her screen.

"Merry Christmas, Tom. I did the bags."

She waved vaguely in the direction of the hall where Tom spotted the overnight bags they had instructed the kids to pack. That was one thing they had respected, he supposed. He picked them up, mussing Tim's hair as he passed him by. The mess, they would clean up when they came back.

"Alright, we ready to go?"

Hannah stood. She picked her favorite toy from the line up and followed Tim and Lex out to the car. The drive back to the cabin was much more animated than the quiet ride he had enjoyed with Becky in the morning. Tim was chatting excitedly about what he was hoping to do at the cabin for the few days they were planning to stay. Lex had some snarky retorts that, though Tom knew she didn't mean them with any ill intent, he still had to scold for Tim's sake. Looking out the window at the snow-covered forest, Hannah was content to sit in silence.

As soon as the car stopped, Tim leapt joyfully into the snow that reached to his upper calf, so deep it was already. He made a game of walking awkwardly and broadly like an astronaut to the door of the cabin. Lex was much less cheerful about it and Hannah least of all. She eyed the snow warily before carefully following in the other's exact footsteps, tugging her scarf tight around her neck. When Becky let them in, though, she was by far the most excited.

"Lexi!" She cried out, clutching Lex's arm and pointing at the lights.

Lex smiled down at her, much more in awe at the joy in her sister's eyes than at the display of lights Tom had taken so long to arrange. This was just as well to him.

"I know, banana, it looks great, doesn't it?"

"It smells great too," Tim said, crashing into the comfortable deep sofa with his whole body weight.

Becky was wearing a cute little apron. It did smell of something sweet and Tom supposed she had made good use of the time he had taken to pick up the kids. He joined her at the threshold to the kitchen and held her by the waist.

"I made cookies," she said.

She turned in his embrace to give him a kiss. She tasted sweet, sugar and spice and everything nice. He bet the cookies on the rack next to them must be fine, too, but she slapped his hand away before he could try one out for himself.

"They have to cool down."

A quick peck on the lips at what must have been his deflated face, she tore herself from his arms to get back to her cooking. In the living room, the kids had made themselves more than comfortable. Lex was pretending to bury Tim under the pile of coats and Hannah was sitting across from them, hands clenched on her lap, looking up at the Christmas tree with the brightest, the cutest smile. The fire was down to embers, still warm for now but in need of tending.

"I'm gonna chop some wood," Tom announced. "Lex, are you coming?"

Lex jumped to her feet. In the time he had known her, she had never refused an opportunity to wield an axe. He supposed that was a phase teenage girls must be going through at some point. Lex was nearing twenty and had no small amount of energy to burn. Better this way than whichever tricks and fixes she had found in the past. At least the axe was always aimed at wood.

"Hell yeah!" She said excitedly.

"Me too!" Tim said, who often went through the phase himself of copying everything Lex did, for he found her as inspiring and admirable as he found her insufferable.

Tom shoved a hat on his head, covering his eyes, and Tim giggled as he pushed it up to see and followed them out. Hannah didn't come. She never really liked the cold and preferred to stay inside if she could − and what kind of foster parents would they be if they didn't embrace that about her? Becky might even give her a treat or two before the rest of them.

Tim sat on a log a little way away from the chopping stump, chatting merrily with Lex as she gave her full strength to her swings splitting logs. Tom supervised her as he passed her the wood logs but she did just fine, as she always did these days. He had been hopeful that she would join him in business at the shop, although she had not yet made any promise and she still had months to go at school to catch up and graduate. They could make a life of this. If they made an effort every day to create for themselves simple comfort and joy with each other, they could be really happy and push past the memories dragging them all down, heal their wounds as a family. They really could. Lex chopped firewood and joked around with her foster brother and if he hadn't known better, they looked just like any other family. Perhaps this was the way every other family was, too. Snow started to fall and Tim looked up excitedly, trying to catch some with his mouth.

"Anyone wants some cookies?" Becky called out from the doorway.

Tim and Lex made a race for it which the girl, at an advantage of size and speed and recklessness, easily won. Becky smiled as she let them pass and, noticing it was snowing, took a few steps outside to better admire it.

"Pretty, huh?"

The snow was getting ever so heavier with every passing moment and snowflakes were gathering in a soft white veil over her hair.

"Very pretty," she replied, tucking herself into his offered embrace.

She rubbed her hands up and down his arms appreciatingly through the rough fabric of his work plaid. It was cold, though the exercise had kept him warmed up and she basked in the heat of him, the comfort. His hands gathered around her waist, so thin and frail, and he kept her close to kiss her. And kiss her again till his feet were numb with cold and her ungloved hands held to his face for warmth. She broke the kiss. Snow was melting in the fiery red of her hair and darkening it. Her fingers were soft against his neck, but her gaze was softer.

"If we stay out too long, there'll be no cookies left," she said in a low voice.

He kissed her. There was a tiny speck of green frosting at her forehead, he noticed just then and rubbed it clean.

"We can't let that happen, can we?"

He could barely register the form of her leaving his arms till he heard her giggles as she ran for the door, slamming it in his face. He laughed and picked up the logs Lex had so kindly split for the fire. Pushing the door, he opened it to a perfect picture of joy. Lex and Hannah were sharing a blanket, looking at the fading fire. He smiled at them as he loaded it again. The girls smiled back.

"I'll make some hot chocolate," he said.

Becky had apparently been counting the cookies, trying to put aside a fair share for him and to defend them from Tim's eager hands. Tom gave him just one and Tim went on his merry way to join his sisters. Tom smiled, looking at him go. He was about to grab a cookie for himself when Becky pulled the plate from him. He cocked his eyebrow at her.

"You got anything to punish me for, Becky Barnes?"

She smirked and gestured him to the stove.

"It's Becky Houston," she corrected with a touch of sass. "And quite the opposite, babe. It's a reward."

Pulling herself up to sit on the counter next to him, she kept the plate at her side. She waited until he was busy pouring milk into a pan to make real hot chocolate, none of the powder stuff, breaking off chunks of a chocolate tablet into it, and she held up a cookie for him. He tried to grab it but she pulled it away again and, sighing in fake annoyance, he let her feed him the cookie. She giggled and rubbed cookie crumbs off his lips, but the hand was caught and the fingers brought to his mouth and…

"You realize the doorway's open, right?" Lex cried out from the living room. "It's an open plan kind of thing. Like, I don't give a shit, but there's innocent kids over here."

"Language!" Becky retorted.

Tom and her glanced at each other with a guilty smile and the next cookie was passed from hand to hand. She still didn't jump off the counter till the hot chocolate was done. At her request, he made a small heap of little marshmallows in each mug, some cinnamon on top. It was enough to make any normal kid pass out in sugar overload but these three were extraordinary, weren't they?

"Yummy," Hannah said, her eyes fixed hungrily on the mug that was given her. She took a small sip which made a mark against her upper lip and she licked it clean. "It's very good."

Tom smiled, patting her head as he sat near.

"Aww, thank you, sweetheart."

He had made a mug for everyone, though he had already planned on leaving his near untouched. It wasn't so much that he had anything against hot chocolate, but rather that he knew that Becky was especially fond of it. And that she would be too self-conscious to ask for seconds. The smile she gave him when he discreetly handed her the still almost filled mug he had pretended to sip from was worth any treat for himself.

Tim had finished his mug first and sat up, turned towards the back of the armchair to look out the window. Snow was still falling steadily, but the sky was bright. He turned back with a huge grin.

"Can we go build a snowman?"

Becky volunteered, who tried never to miss an occasion to endear herself to Tim, as did Lex, who never missed an occasion to the opposite. In his heart, Tom knew they got along just fine, no worse off than if they had been a family from the start. You didn't need baby photos to have one.

"I'm gonna go watch them from the kitchen, alright?" He told Hannah.

"Uh huh."

What a picture it was through the front window, the enterprise of it. Maybe Tim might make a great help at the shop too when he was older, for he was the one directing the building of the snowman here, pointing Becky and Lex to patches of snow and himself looking for rocks for decoration. Becky's round cheeks were flush with the effort, all around too lovely. Hannah tugged his arm from behind.

"I wanna see," she said.

Of course, she was big enough to pull herself on the counter on her own if she wanted to look out the window. Of course, she liked it better when Tom hoisted her up. He was all too happy to help. They watched the others' fun in silence, warm and cosy. Quiet was what drew Hannah and Tom together. They could spend hours without a word when they were on their own just the two of them and those were the fondest moments he could think of. They made quite a pair.

Tim and Becky were piling the balls that would make the body of the snowman and arranging rocks in a friendly face. It was such a careful operation that they never notice Lex plotting mischief behind their backs. When she picked up the huge snowball and walked toward Tim with a wicked grin, only Tom and Hannah knew what was coming. The ball fell in a fluttering storm of snowflakes all around Tim, whose wail of outrage could be heard even through the windows. The fury was very short lived and instantly turned into thrill and delight as he prepared a revenge. Becky came to his rescue and soon the fight turned into a three way war that all of them either lost or won.

"They're crazy, huh?" Tom said.

"Uh huh," Hannah nodded.

Eventually they came to a truce, eventually the snowman was finished meticulously and they came back inside laughing together. They were shivering despite their glee and went to put on their pajamas. Becky had thought it funny to buy everyone matching onesies and they made quite a family picture, Becky, Lex and Tim in fluffy red and white stripes, Tom and Hannah in their plaid. Just the sight of them made Tom feel cozy.

"Who'll help me get dinner ready?" Becky asked.

Lex immediately touched her nose.

"Not it!"

"Not it!" Hannah imitated.

Tim touched the tip of his nose but too late.

"Not it… ugh…"

"Come on, buddy," Tom said, joining him as Tim dragged his feet to the kitchen. "It'll be fun!"

Tom remembered with nostalgia how for eight years, Jane had tried to initiate Tim to cooking with them without much success. Too fastidious and cautious a task, too slow for his fast paced heart's desires. Becky had been no more successful at getting him to enjoy it, but Tim had wised up over time and agreed to most chores whether he enjoyed them or not. Still, stuck between Tom and Becky's guidance and making pleasant chatter, one might have believed he was liking it. It might even have been the truth.

Happiness and healing lay in moments like these. It was in the joy of being with the people you loved, making something good together. It was preparing a good meal with your son and wife, cozying up warm inside with your daughter, chopping up wood with the other. The past never could be changed and the future was unknowable. The present only could be made as good as possible given its circumstances. Tom had been through moments where the very idea of his present contentment was unconceivable. Perhaps he enjoyed it all the more knowing the suffering that had led to it.

"Meal time!" Tim cried out to the girls when all was done and volunteered himself to carry the dishes to the dining table.

Of course, the food was excellent, though he expected that tomorrow would be even better, and then the leftovers lasting on and on after that. Becky was good at everything she did. He had always known that. She was even great at being a parent, even though it had come later in her life than his. She was patient with Tim, respecting his boundaries and the grieving part of him but offering him all the tenderness he might ask for. She understood and captivated Hannah better than all, second only to Lex. Perhaps bound by their care for the girl, perhaps by an affection that was theirs only, Lex and Becky got on famously, confident and partners in crimes, so long as the crimes were to give Tom hell. But of course, Becky fit best of all with Tom. When Jane had passed, he had thought he would never love another woman, but Becky was not some new fling to win him over, was she? She was his first love, his forever love, and loving her again had been the only natural thing to do.

The meal went on as good as it could, a nice afternoon turning into comfortable night. Delicious food, a warm room with the pleasant crackling of the fire a little way away, above all a good time as a family. Tim was telling Hannah about the games they would be able to play with the new toys he hoped to get, a prospect that seemed to overjoy both children. Lex was chiming in, bragging that she would be better than him at whichever video game it was that Tim cared about these days. Tom startled when Becky touched his face, so engrossed he had been in watching the three kids getting along and being friendly with one another. She smiled at him and he leaned his face into her hand.

"I'll clean up and you go relax, alright?"

She nodded lazily and gave him a kiss on the lips. Tom stood, mussing the kids' hair as he picked up the plates and dishes. The others moved to the couches in front of the fire, piling onto one another under blankets and from the doorway Tom kept an eye on them as he did the dishes. Conversations so animated during dinner dwindled down to sporadic hushes. By the time he brought another round of hot chocolate for everyone, they had nearly stopped entirely, only mutters of thanks as they enjoyed their treat and watched the fire.

Tim never finished his hot chocolate. In fact, he never even started it. When Tom put down the mug meant for him on the coffee table, he saw that his son was already falling asleep against Becky's shoulder. Tim had exerted himself all day and all the excitement had finally caught up on him.

"Here," he told the others in a low voice. "Enjoy."

Hannah took just a few sips of her mug as she stared at the lights again in wonder and awe. She was dozing off periodically but catching herself, sipping some more hot chocolate to keep herself awake. Becky and Lex talked in tired hushed voices as Becky ran gentle fingers through Tim's hair, who never even stirred awake. Carefully, Tom took him in his arms. The children's room was just further down the hall and it was warm and cozy when Tom pushed the door to it open with his shoulder. He lay down Tim in one of the beds and pulled the covers up.

"Merry Christmas, buddy," he said as he kissed the top of his head.

Tim never woke, but the sight of his happy little face even in slumber was as good as any word back. Night time had always been a favorite of Tom. He still remembered all the interrupted nights when he was a newborn, how despite the exhaustion and the frustration he had always volunteered to check on the wailing babe. Some of it had been to spare Jane the bother, but always there had been something special about these moments lost to the night, nothing but him and his son and the silence that came when he had managed to soothe him. He had never grown tired of it, even now that these moments were ever rarer.

"Tucked him right in," he told Becky. "He held up so late already."

"He is weak," Lex retorted, though the yawn that swallowed the rest of what she was saying somewhat undercut her meaning.

Hannah's eyes were struggling to stay open. Tom crouched in front of her and took her hands in his.

"Do you want to go to bed now, then, sweetie?"

"Uh huh," Hannah nodded.

He patted her knee gently.

"You go put on your pjs, alright? I'll come say goodnight."

Lex took her hand to show her to the bedroom. Tom and Becky smiled at each other. Her hand found his cheek and toyed with the hair under his ear, thumb stroking across the cheek gently.

"You're a great dad, you know that?"

He huffed and pressed a kiss against the hand.

"I'm doing my best," he said. "I really am."

Especially when they weren't home, Hannah liked for things to stay safely the same from day to day. Every night, he and Becky kissed her goodnight and tucked her into bed and all of them looked forward to the moment. Her eyes were bright with excitement when they joined the girls to give their goodnights. Tim was sleeping so soundly only a small tuft of hair was peaking from the blankets. Becky sat on the edge of the bed, gave Hannah a kiss on the crown of the head.

"Goodnight, darling."

Tom crouched by her bedside and kissed her temple.

"Goodnight, little buddy."

Hannah was beaming and let herself be tucked tight. Lex wasn't ready to sleep yet, browsing her phone idly against the headboard, but she was the recipient of kisses all the same, no matter how much she rolled her eyes.

"And merry Christmas, girls."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, "Merry Christmas."

They closed the door softly behind them. It was a great brood of kids they had. It had been a great couple of years since the girls had moved into the home office turned bedroom for two. They all made each other's lives better, all five of them. Merry Christmas indeed. Tom and Becky went to bed very happy for an excellent day and excited to celebrate the holiday with the kids tomorrow.

The next morning was punctuated by a loud knock at the door, insisting way past the normal polite amount. Lex's voice came through.

"Everybody decent? Tim's shaking, I don't think he's gonna last much longer so if you wanna see him open the gifts…"

They had splurged quite a bit, Tom supposed, seeing the massive amount of presents laid out in the living room when they stepped down the stairs. Tim had dragged all the gifts from under the tree and was splitting them in three large piles and two much smaller ones for Becky and Tom.

"There's so much stuff!" He cried out when he noticed them. "Thanks so much, dad!"

"And Becky," Tom smiled.

"And Becky," Tim agreed.

The point of it wasn't the gifts, Tom reminded himself quite a few purchases too late. The point was spending time with the people he loved the most and, if that time was spent celebrating the power of new stuff, then that was that. Tim was overjoyed, going from one box to the next, trying to tear them all open at the same time. Even Lex, their ever caustic brat, was softened by his boundless joy and she was almost too distracted by him to open her own presents. Hannah seemed about as interested in the content of the boxes as the wrap itself, but as long as she was happy, then Tom and Becky had nothing to complain about. Becky sat next to Lex and took a few pics of the two younger kids, sharing them with her and smiling together. Tom never wanted the moment to end, but at the same time, he couldn't wait for it to, for he knew what was coming next.

It did eventually, as it had to. Tim was opening the last present left for him, some video game Lex had given Tom the title of, Santa's big helper this year. Tom took the hug of thanks and, realizing the time was due, glanced at Becky on the opposite sofa. She nodded. He gulped, feeling a bit antsy, but he stood and grabbed the envelope from behind the tree where he had hidden it the day before. He handed it to Hannah and sat back down. She looked at it curiously. The ribbon tying it in a pretty little bow seemed to grab her attention more than the inside as she ripped it off and passed it between her hands.

"Read what's inside, sweetheart," he suggested.

Hannah wasn't the best of readers, many years unschooled before they had found the right place for her education when she had landed in their care. She looked at the letters for a long while before sounding them out slowly.

"Ha… n… nah… Hannah. And Al… Al…"

"Alexandra," Tim said and Lex flicked his temple, which prompted a grunt and a frown. "Ow…"

"Hannah and Alexandra Foster," Hannah said eventually. "A… do… Adoption form."

This time Lex jumped forward, sinking to her knees next to Hannah to look over her shoulder. Her eyes widened and she picked the paper from Hannah's hands to stare at it in disbelief.

"Is this a bit?"

Becky was containing tears and shook her head without a word. Tim kept glancing between everyone. Suddenly the video game that had caughthis whole attention was irrelevant and he dropped it to the ground to have a look at the form himself.

"Of course it's not," Tom said. "It's real. If, erm, if you wanna."

"Shit, dude!" Lex cried out and for once, though Tim and Hannah were present, Tom allowed it. "Oh my god!"

Her first hug was for Hannah, of course, holding her so tight and snug he wondered if she would hug all the air out of her. But then she was next to Becky again, burying her face into ginger hair and Becky could only pat her back gently, repaying every affection with her own. Hannah scooted towards Tom and leaned her head against his knee. He petted her hair a bit, smiling like an idiot. He had been so worried, so ridiculously nervous about this.

"We'll file the paper," he said. "And it'll be official."

"Ah, fuck," Lex said, still not quite believing it. She leaned against the back of the couch, staring at the wooden ceiling in ecstasy. "I love this."

Becky looked at Tom. She had not cried, though she was still close. They had talked about this moment a hundred times since the process had started, yet now that they were in it, they felt like nothing had prepared them in the least. He found himself thinking of Tim's birth, the squirming little pink blob he had fallen for the moment he had laid eyes on him. He couldn't pinpoint the moment for Lex and Hannah, but he knew they were long past it.

"You don't have to change your names," he said, remembering the talk with Becky. "You can keep Foster if you want, or you can take Houston…"

"Or Barnes," Lex noted.

He nodded.

"Or Barnes."

Lex grinned smugly and, as she gave no answer just then, he supposed the choice would come later. It made no difference to him anyway. Jane had borne her own name, Becky had taken his. Tim had it too, but who was to say how Hannah and Lex would call themselves? They were family either way.

"Wait, are they my sisters now?"

Tom smiled at Tim and patted his head.

"Buddy," he said, "They've been your sisters for a while."

A form was not much and it wasn't what made the girls his daughters. What made a family, he had learned all the more in recent years, was the love and time shared with each other. Looking at Hannah's soft peaceful smile and at Lex already laughing with (or at) Tim, he thought that in the realm of love and affection, they already had more than enough.


End file.
